BT: Vision is not just waiting for Project Canvas

Sports just the start

BT insists that it is not simply building up BT Vision for the arrival of the eagerly awaited IPTV scheme Project Canvas, and is looking forward to enhancements to its platform, including the arrival of Sky Sports 1 and 2.

Speaking to TechRadar, BT's Andy Baker insisted that the arrival of two of Sky's premium channels was not the beginning of a journey towards a Canvas branded BT Vision box, but the continuation of a long term project to improve the much maligned service.

"I think we are doing lots to our online TV service and there's a lot of exciting things happening," said Baker.

"There's Canvas happening, there's our investment in a fibre network and all of those things are working towards a better TV service for our customers.

"I don't think this is the start of the journey – we have been on the journey for a couple of years and we already have a very, very good TV service but what we haven't had is a very good TV service for sports fans."

Strong service

"I think that [the arrival of Sky Sports 1 and 2] will make our TV service phenomenally strong and as Canvas goes along we will enhance again," he added.

"We will continue to build and build, as more of these propositions come to market."

Sky has already accused BT of using the IPTV Canvas project as an excuse to relaunch BT Vision – but the platform will clearly benefit from the sports offering.

Interestingly, even without factoring in Sky's price hike, BT are making a major loss on the offering, so it appears that the communications giant is prepared to swallow a major hit to its profits if it can lure people to its bundled services.